The Department of the Interior and the Local Government (DILG) has started coordinating with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to prepare Taguig City’s new barangays for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Oct. 30.
In September 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Taguig City in the turf row with Makati City as to which local government unit has jurisdiction over the so-called EMBO (Enlisted Men's Barrio) barangays.
DILG Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. said that on May 3 this year, they sent a letter to the Supreme Court requesting guidance in the implementation of the decision with respect to the affected barangays.
While awaiting further instructions from the High Court, Abalos said that the DILG had already activated transition teams to deal with the territorial change.
“Comelec Chairman George Garcia and I agree that it’s imperative to take action because there’s not much time left before the elections. We respect the Supreme Court’s definition of the cities’ territorial boundaries and are coordinating accordingly,” Abalos noted.
With respect to the DILG's attached agencies, Abalos added, “We’re working with the chiefs of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to revise the areas of responsibility and reporting lines of their affected local offices, in light of the decided boundaries.”
He clarified that the above actions would cover only matters of territorial supervision.
“As for specific rights or obligations over affected property, these will be dealt with in accordance with the procedure provided by law. We will also respect any further court orders in this regard,” Abalos explained.
The DILG chief noted that the mayors of Taguig City and Makati City have been informed of the department’s actions on this matter.
“My impression is that they both care deeply for their constituency. We share the same paramount consideration, the best interest of the affected people," Abalos continued.